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council or county commissioner's court.Visit with your state and federal officialswhen they are in Austin or in their homedistricts. When at home, take them ontours of historic sites; show them whatpreservation activities have been successfulin their districts. Provide opportunitiesto present your officials with recognitionawards and certificates of appreciation forassistance to your organization or community.Educate your elected officials earlydonot wait for a crisis situation to arise.Education of other groups is also important.Get to know the following groupsand work with them to make sure thatthey are supporting your projects: localchamber of commerce, tourist bureau,parks and recreation department, library,museums, art groups, school districts, andprofessional groups.It is important to maintain an openand honest working relationship withyour elected officials. They are the peoplewho will vote to cut, maintain, or increasefunding for preservation. It is onlythrough these relationships that we willhave an opportunity to present and interpretfactual economic figures which willenable them to consider the continuationof appropriated funding for preservation.The Texas House of RepresentativesCommittee on Cultural and HistoricalResources is the committee that is responsiblefor legislative and budget oversightsfor nine state agencies, includingthe THC. The committee makes the budgetrecommendations to the AppropriationsCommittee of the House of Representatives.The committee is willing towork with, and listen to, the concernsand needs of organizations interested inpreservation. Letters from organizationsand individuals are wanted and needed.Let us know what kind of legislation isneeded so that appropriate recommendationscan be made in order to better supportyour organizations activities.Another way that you can help supportthe programs of the THC is by supportingorganizations that lobby for preservation.One such group is Preservation Texas.There are other indirect ways to support

the THC. Buy officially sanctioned Sesquicentennialitems, such as the gold andsilver State of Texas medallions. By purchasingonly official merchandise you aregenerating revenue for Texas.

Preservation pays. The programs of theTHC are proven to be economically beneficialto our state. Support the THC,write your legislators, and buy Texas. It isup to each and every one of us to preservethe culture and history of Texas, a legacythat belongs not only to us but also togenerations yet to come.Texas State Representative Ralph R. Wallace IIIis chairman of the Committee on Cultural andHistorical Resources.